Kona Coffee - Great Tasting Coffee Beans
By Wayne Rasku
Some of the world's best coffee is grown in a small area of Hawaii know as Kona. It is highly regarded coffee among lovers of the best tasting brews, second only to Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee.
Fair trade coffee has only recently come into the spotlight as the Go Green movement has become more popular. Fair trade coffee only makes up a small percentage of the coffee produced in the world.
In order to qualify as fair trade producers, growers must pay their workers at least minimum wage. There are Fair Trade Certification organizations that can officially determine whether a grower is actually within the guidelines. The problem with the certification is that is costs something to get certified, anywhere from $50 to $3000 dollars. The result is that although they follow the fair trade standards, the small farmers on Kona have not been certified, first because of the cost, and second because of the paperwork. And also, the certifications are mainly for importers. Since Kona is in the US, it does not qualify.
t is common among a majority of growers around the globe to pay their help sweatshop wages, similar to what happens in the garment industry in places like China and Bangladesh.
There are quite a few coffee growers in the Kona area that follow the fair trade standards. Mostly they are individuals or couples who have a deep personal interest in their product and take pride in producing the best possible coffee.
They also use organic natural farming methods to keep the quality of their produce high. The plants are grown in a natural shaded environment at elevations of 800 to about 2200 feet. There is just the right amount of rainfall on Kona, and the lava soil seems to be perfect for obtaining great tasting beans. But since coffee is only grown on one side of the mountain, the key factor seems to be the ocean breeze blowing up the mountain and cooling the air temperature. Other areas of Hawaii are too hot for coffee production.
Growing the coffee plants in naturally shaded areas under the high canopy of certain types of trees allows the beans to mature more slowly than sun grown plants. The slow maturity adds to the taste by developing larger beans with more natural sugars that the plant produces as part of the ripening process.
All the factors work together - a deep commitment for quality coffee, natural shade, organic growing methods, climate conditions - to make the organic fair trade Kona coffee a great tasting cup of Joe.
Find out more about getting a great cup of Kona coffee at http://www.thecoffeeniche.com. You deserve a great cup of coffee!
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